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Subatomic Particles Research Project
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will outline British involvement and funding proposals for participation in the subatomic particles research project at the Sudbury neutrino observatory ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : The Sudbury neutrino observatory project is a collaboration involving Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom's involvement is through a group at Oxford university's nuclear physics laboratory which is developing a water purification and testing system for the large heavy water detector being built in northern Ontario.
The group is supported by means of a research grant of £276,000 over three years (1989-92) from the science and engineering research council (SERC) and a contribution from Oxford university of about £120,000 over the same period.
Any application for further funding for the project would be considered by SERC against other calls on its budget.
Bradford City Technical College
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what right of appeal parents have whose children are refused a place at Bradford city technology college ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : CTCs are independent schools and parents will have no automatic right of appeal if their children fail to achieve one of the limited number of places available. However, my right hon. Friend will expect colleges to look at individual cases on their merits.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Local Government Finance
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact the introduction of the poll tax will have on the retail prices index in April.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The Autumn Statement forecast is for RPI annual inflation to fall to 5 per cent. by the fourth quarter of 1990. It is not the practice to provide more detail than published in table 2.7 of the Autumn Statement.
Public Expenditure White Paper
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the 1990 public expenditure White Paper.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The 1990 public expenditure White Paper will be published at 3.30 pm on Tuesday 30 January, and copies will be available in the Vote Office.
Premium Bonds
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of premium bond purchases for each of the last five annual periods for which figures are kept.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The number of purchases for each of the last five calendar years has been as follows :
|000's
---------------------------------
1985 |2,530.0
1986 |1,949.8
1987 |1,962.0
1988 |2,036.7
1989 |<1>1,416.0
<1> provisional
National Savings
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of new National Savings bank customers for the investment account for the last five annual periods for which figures are kept.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The number of new customers opening investment accounts is not available. The number of new investment accounts opened during each of the last five calendar years was as follows :
|000's
------------------
1985 |544.8
1986 |519.9
1987 |697.3
1988 |605.3
1989 |515.9
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total number of new ordinary accounts opened, under the national savings scheme for each of the last five annual periods for which figures are kept.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The number of new national savings ordinary accounts opened in each of the last five calendar years is as follows :
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|000's
------------------
1985 |528.2
1986 |506.0
1987 |502.6
1988 |471.1
1989 |343.3
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any additional plans to further increase the minimum deposit level for National Savings bank ordinary accounts.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : My right hon. Friend has no present plans to increase the minimum deposit for national savings ordinary accounts.
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to cause the Department for National Savings to issue any further guidelines to retirement pensioners on savings and personal security, either on its own or in conjuction with police authorities.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : For some years the Department for National Savings has responded to requests to assist local crime prevention campaigns by providing specially prepared leaflets which remind pensioners that their money is safer kept in a savings account than at home. I understand that the department will continue to offer such assistance where it is practicable to do so.
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received any representations about the future of the Department for National Savings ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations. Our objectives for national savings are to encourage more long-term committed savings and less liquid debt ; to make available through the national savings system products gross of tax for the non-taxpayer ; and to continue to manage efficiently the investments of many millions of personal savers.
Mr. Boateng : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury intends to review its policy on the Department for National Savings.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : Policy on national savings products and their terms is always kept under review.
Taxation
Mrs. Ray Michie To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much taxation was raised from persons and organisations resident within, or operating within, Scotland during the financial year 1988-89 ; and if he will list the yield under the heading of each tax.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 18 January 1990] : Information is available only in respect of income tax, inheritance-capital transfer tax, and local authority rates. In the case of income tax and inheritance- capital transfer tax, the information is available only in terms of tax liabilities.
The latest estimates available are that the income tax liabilities of residents of Scotland in 1987-88, the latest
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available year, were £3.4 billion, the capital transfer tax liabilities in 1985-86 on Scottish death estates and lifetime transfers were about £70 million, and local authority rates were £1, 955 million in 1988-89. Capital transfer tax on lifetime transfers has since been abolished.Overseas Investment
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the level of (a) portfolio and (b) direct investment overseas each year since 1979, both at current prices and at constant 1989 prices ; and what has been the percentage change each year.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The estimates of United Kingdom investment overseas at current prices, distinguishing direct and portfolio investment, since 1979 are published in "Economic Trends" for December 1989 (table A8). An assessment of investment at constant prices can be made using the implied gross domestic product price deflators published in "Economic Trends" (table 2) and in the CSO databank. These publications are available in the Library.
Bank Lending
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the level of bank lending to each main sector of United Kingdom residents each year since 1979 at constant 1989 prices ; and what was the percentage change each year in each case.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : Details on the level of lending to the main United Kingdom sectors is published for recent years in "Financial Statistics" (table 6.2) and for earlier years on the CSO databank. An assessment at constant prices can be made using the implied gross domestic product price deflators published in "Economic Trends" (table 2) and in the CSO databank. These publications are available in the Library.
Foreign Earnings
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the level of foreign earnings of each category of financial institution in the City of London in 1979, 1984 and 1989 or the latest date for which information is available, at current prices and at constant 1989 prices.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The available information at current prices up to and including 1988 is given in the published annual Pink Books on the United Kingdom balance of payments (table 6.1) and on the CSO databank. An assessment at constant prices can be made using the implied gross domestic product price deflators published in "Economic Trends" (table 2) which is also available on the CSO databank. These publications are available in the Library.
Invisible Earnings
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the level of invisible earnings each year since 1970 and for each month since January 1989 both at current prices and at constant 1989 prices.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The latest estimates of invisibles at current prices
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and of trade in services at constant prices are given in "Economic Trends" for December 1989 (tables A1 and A3) and on the CSO databank. An assessment of all invisibles at constant prices can be made using the implied gross domestic product price deflators published in "Economic Trends" (table 2) and on the CSO databank. These publications are available in the Library.Money Supply
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage change each year since 1970 in each main measure of the money supply.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : Details on the level of five money supply measures are published for recent years in "Financial Statistics" (table 11.10) and for earlier years on the CSO databank both of which are available in the Library.
Financial Assets
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the current value of the total assets of (a) pension funds, (b) insurance companies, (c) building societies, (d) commercial banks, (e) merchant banks, (f) United States banks in London, (g) Japanese banks in London, (h) other foreign banks in London, and (i) other major categories of dealers in the City of London.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The latest estimates are given in the following publications, which are available in the Library :
"Financial Statistics"
Non-bank credit companies (table 7.4) ; Unit trusts (tables 7.6 and 7.8) ; Investment trusts (table 7.9) ; Insurance companies (table 7.10) ; and Pension funds (table 7.11).
"Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin"
Banks, distinguishing United Kingdom retail, merchant and other banks, and United States, Japanese and other overseas banks (tables 3.1 to 3.8) ; Building Societies (table 6.2).
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Council
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the level of Government grants to the British Council for each year since 1978-79, including the grant allocation for the year 1990-91.
Mr. Sainsbury : The table shows the level of Government grants to the British Council :
(£'000) Year |Total --------------------------- 1978-79 |45,891 1979-80 |50,447 1980-81 |56,165 1981-82 |63,496 1982-83 |68,608 1983-84 |73,291 1984-85 |81,513 1985-86 |86,344 1986-87 |91,990 1987-88 |100,825 1988-89 |101,059 1989-90 |110,863 <1>1990-91 |121,159 <1> Estimate.
Czechoslovakia
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average time taken to process visa applications for citizens of Czechoslovakia wishing to visit the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : Information about the average length of time taken to process visa applications is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, under a visa understanding with Czechoslovakia in 1980, each Government have undertaken to process visa applications for stays of up to three months within 14 working days. Most are issued well inside this time frame.
PRIME MINISTER
Watford Gap
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Watford Gap.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
ENVIRONMENT
English Heritage
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra financial provision has been made to English Heritage in each financial year since it assumed responsibility for the relevant duties of the Greater London council ; and what was the consequent increase in total expenditure, total grant offers made, total grants paid and total section 3A repair grant offers made since that date.
Mr. Trippier : The Greater London council's historic buildings division and historic house museums transferred to English Heritage in 1986. Additional grant-in-aid of £7.75 million was allocated to English Heritage in 1986-87 to cover the resulting extra costs. Since then the former Greater London council functions have ceased to be identified as a separate entity for the purposes of grant-in-aid but have become an integral part of English Heritage's national organisation and operation. In seeking extra resources each year English Heritage presents its bids on the basis of its work programmes (for example properties-in-care and conservation including building repair and archaeology grants) rather than on a regional basis. Allocation of existing and any additional resources among the regions is entirely a matter for English Heritage. Expenditure on grants in Greater London is as follows :
£ million (cash)
|1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 3A repair
grant offers |0.74 |1.46 |1.32 |1.58
Total grant offers for
the 4 years £19.457 million
Total grants paid |2.84 |4.30 |4.81 |4.82
(Total £16.77 million)
<1> Planned.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the total expenditure by English Heritage and its predecessor, respectively, the total grant offers made and the total of grants paid, for each year 1981-82 to 1990-91 ; (2) what was the total income and the income from grant-in-aid, respectively, of English Heritage and its predecessor, for each year 1981-82 to 1990-91.
Mr. Trippier : Prior to the setting up of English Heritage in 1983, the Department of the Environment was directly responsible for historic building grants, archaeology grants and the portfolio of properties-in- care. In 1986
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English Heritage also took over responsibility for the Greater London council's historic buildings division and historic house museums ; this is reflected in the total 1986-87 figures below. Accounting procedures within the Department during 1981-1984 differed from those subsequently adopted for and by English Heritage. As a result comparable information for 1981-82 and total grant "offers" for 1981 -82, 1982-83 and 1983-84 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The table reflects voted provision for expenditure (rather than grant-in- aid which did not apply) by the Department in 1982-83 and 1983-84 on the activities later transferred to English Heritage.Column 439
|1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
|(planned)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total provision |36.3 |45.9 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Grant in aid (English Heritage) |- |- |49.9 |52.2 |60.1 |65.3 |66.2 |72.4 |78.0
Total Income (English Heritage) |- |- |52.8 |55.8 |65.1 |72.4 |75.5 |81.2 |88.0
Total gross expenditure |34.8 |43.5 |52.1 |55.0 |62.8 |71.0 |78.4 |84.7 |90.0
Total grants paid |18.4 |19.5 |24.1 |24.8 |28.6 |27.5 |29.5 |30.9 |30.4
Total grants offered |- |- |27.7 |28.2 |29.8 |34.2 |33.0 |33.7 |36.4
Chatham and Medway Docks
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money the Government have committed to the redevelopment of Chatham and Medway docks ; to whom it is intended to distribute the money ; and whether any consultancy agencies are involved.
Mr. Trippier : Following the closure of the royal naval dockyard at Chatham, the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust was established in April 1984 to take responsibility for some 80 acres of the dockyard area, containing about 50 buildings or sites scheduled as ancient monuments. The trust was financed by a Government endowment of £11.35 million to assist it in repairing and maintaining the historic structures and in promoting the site as a "living dockyard". The Department of the Environment and the Ministry of Defence commissioned a consultancy report on the future of the historic dockyard prior to the establishment of the trust and the trust itself has employed consultants for a number of studies since 1984. The redevelopment of the remainder of the former royal naval dockyard is being managed by the English Industrial Estates Corporation which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. I understand that English Estates will have committed about £26 million to the project by the end of the current financial year and that consultants have been employed to assist with the project.
Part of the dockyard was designated an enterprise zone in October 1986, which entitles it to full relief from payment of rates for a 10-year period. Figures for rates forgone are available only for the north-west Kent enterprise zone as a whole, and not for the Chatham maritime enterprise zone as a separate entity.
Tyneside Enterprise Zone
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the extent of retail floorspace in the Tyneside enterprise zone in each year since E2 status was declared distinguishing between floorspace in Newcastle and Gateshead.
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Mr. Moynihan : The table shows the amount of retail floorspace in the enterprise zone for each year for which information by type of use has been available. The year 1987 is the latest for which such information has been published. There is no breakdown for individual parts of the zone. As the hon. Member will be aware, however, the large majority of the increase in retail floorspace has taken place in the Gateshead area.
Retail floorspace in Tyneside enterprise zone Year |'000 sq m ------------------------------ 1984 |0.2 1985 |4 1986 |20 1987 |129
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the sums paid by Government to (a) Newcastle and (b) Gateshead council in 1989-90 in substitution of rates due from properties in the Tyneside enterprise zone, distinguishing between industrial and commercial property.
Mr. Moynihan : Claims made by local authorities in respect of rate revenue forgone in enterprise zones do not distinguish between industrial and commercial property. Payments made so far in 1989-90 to Gateshead metropolitan borough council and Newcastle city council amount to £10,835,487 and £1,518,385 respectively. The authorities' final claims are likely to add a further 10 per cent. to these figures.
Toxic Waste
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the full report of the United States Environment Protection Agency into the toxic waste held in Wath upon Dearne concludes that the material must be handled with great care.
Mr. Trippier : In sending forward a summary report and supporting analytical data, the Environment Protection Agency draws attention to the need to handle the material with care because of the presence of volatile organic compounds. The presence of such compounds was one of
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the reasons for transferring the waste into sealed drums--a task undertaken well before the Environment Protection Agency report became available.Housing, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to approve city grant and estate action applications in respect of homes for rent and sale on the Lower Grange estate in Bradford ; how quickly, after decisions on these applications are announced, he expects a start to new building ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State responsible for housing on 13 December, Official Report, Volume 163 ; column 727. The Department is continuing to appraise the applications for both city grant and estate action support and I hope it will be possible to reach decisions on both cases in the near future.
Sport and Active Recreation
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is (a) the estimated total cost and (b) the estimated cost to public funds of publishing the report of the review of sport and active recreation in the inner cities.
Mr. Moynihan : The estimated total cost of publishing the report of the review of sport and active recreation provision in the inner cities is £19,900, of which £7,900 will be met from public funds and £12,000 from private sector sponsorship.
Drinking Water
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of drinking water, by volume, in England that is treated by the addition of (a) chlorine and (b) ozone.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 15 January 1990] : Precise information is not available. However, I understand that more than 99 per cent. of water supplies in England are treated by the addition of chlorine as a disinfectant. At only six sites, which produce less than 1 per cent. of water supplies, is water treated by the addition of ozone. It is important to note that even when ozone is used in the treatment of drinking water, chlorine is normally added at the final treatment stage to provide for residual disinfection.
Batteries and Accumulators
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of spent batteries and accumulators in household waste.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The Government have long encouraged recycling wherever economically and technically feasible, and the United Kingdom has an excellent record of reclaiming lead-acid and larger nickel-cadmium batteries, and mercuric oxide and silver oxide button cells. Recycling of smaller, consumer-type batteries has not yet proved commercially viable. Reductions in the volume of certain
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spent batteries and accumulators in household waste is one objective of a modified draft directive recently published by the European Commission. Negotiations have yet to begin on the final form of the directive, and it would not be sensible for the Government to act independently in advance of their completion.Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department has taken to promote research aimed at reducing the dangerous substance content and increasing the use of less- polluting substitute substances in batteries and accumulators, and into methods of recycling.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The Department's Warren Spring laboratory has in the past undertaken research into methods of battery reclamation and recycling, and is currently collaborating on a project aimed at recovering consumer-type alkaline manganese and nickel-cadmium batteries from the domestic waste stream. An examination is also under way of the environment, economic and technical issues which recovery involves. The promotion of research is one aspect of a modified draft directive on batteries and accumulators containing dangerous substances recently published by the European Commission. The Government will await finalisation of the directive before deciding upon measures for its implementation.
FA Cup Final
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the report of the Director General of Fair Trading concerning ticket allocation at the Football Association cup finals in 1988 and 1989.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The chief trading standards officer for the city of Liverpool asked the Director General of Fair Trading to look into the arrangements for the allocation of tickets at the Football Association cup finals in 1988 and 1989, under his duty at section 2 of the Fair Trading Act 1973. I understand that the director general hopes to be able to respond in the near future.
Ivory
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that Her Majesty's Government will not enter a reservation on behalf of Hong Kong with respect to the recent listing of the African elephant in appendix I of CITES.
Mr. Waldegrave : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House on 17 January at column 300.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to enter a reservation to CITES on behalf of Hong Kong to allow the current ivory stockpile in the Crown colony to be placed on the market.
Mr. Waldegrave : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House on 17 January.
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TRANSPORT
Motorways
Mr. Waller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those lengths of motorway exceeding 35 miles in extent which are not provided with immediately adjoining service facilities.
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Mr. Atkins : The Government's general policy is to provide motorway service areas (MSAs) at intervals of roughly 30 miles on English motorways. MSAs in Wales and Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland respectively. Lengths of motorway in England exceeding 35 miles and currently without MSAs are as follows :
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Motorway |Mileage |Comment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M4<1> | 59 |MSA proposed for Reading area
M6<2> | 38 |-
M11 | 54 |MSA Proposed for Birchanger (Junction 8)
M25 |117 |MSA open at South Mimms, under construction at
| Thurrock, and proposed at Clacket Lane (Westerham)
| and in the western quadrant of the motorway
M42 | 40 |MSAs under construction at Tamworth and proposed for
| the Solihull area
<1>Heston MSA to Membury MSA.
<2>South bound, Southwaite MSA to Killington Lake MSA.
Certain other journeys involving distances of more than 35 miles between MSAs are possible using more than one motorway. It is intended that almost all of the gaps will be filled by the MSAs in the Government's strategic programme which, in addition to those already referred to, comprises sites on :
M18 (Hadfield)
M20 (Hollingbourne and Westernhanger)
M27 (Meon)
M40 (Tetsworth, Ardley and Barn Hill)
M54 (Telford)
M56 (Hapsford)
Birmingham Northern Relief Road ; Birmingham Western Orbital ; and Blackburn Southern bypass (sites to be selected).
I am writing to my hon. Friend enclosing a map showing existing and proposed MSAs and the motorway network. I have arranged for copies of the map to be placed in the Library.
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